Safety locking device



Aug. 23,1927;

P. HOFFMAN ET AL SAFETY LOCKING DEVICE Ffiled Nov. 27, 1 26 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORS A TTORNE" Aug. 23,1927.

P. HOFFMAN ET AL SAFETY LOCKING DEVICE Filed Nov. 2'7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS dial BY mm M ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1927. i I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.I

PAUL HOFFMAN, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, AN JAMES 13. STRONG, or SUFFERN, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNORS T RAMAPO AJAX CORPORATION, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A coa- PORATION OF NEW YORK.

SAFETY LOCKING ImvIoE- Application filed ovember 27, 1926., seria m. 151,047.

This invention relates to locking device's switch stand and safety locking device with for switchstands, and more particularly to connecting elements; 7 a safety locking device for holding the lock- Fig. 3 is an elevation of the switch stand ing members of such locking device in locked and safety locking device showing the latch 5 position even though the switchstand is de in cocked position ready for dropping into I t L v locking position when the locking pin is In a well known type of switchstand conmoved to locking position; struction the switchstand having the mecha F ig. 4 shows the latch after it has dropped nisin for operating the switch points is to locking position; and i v 10 spaced from a separate lockin device for Fig. 5' is a detail showing the construcholding the switch points in adjusted position of part of the switch stand. tion. Besides the separate locking device In the following description and in the the switclistand may also have a lock inclaims parts will be identified by specific corporated therewith, thereby providing two names for convenience, but they are intend- 15 looks or a so called double locking switched to be as generic in this application to stand. This construction has proven very similar parts as the art will permit. satisfactory under most conditions ofopera- Referring now to the drawing, the thru tion. However, if the switchstand be derails are denoted by A and B and the switch stroyed or displaced bodily, it may happen points are denoted by 1 and 2. Above the that this displacement will unlock the sepaswitch the thru rails A and B act as the rate locking device. I r main rails, while below the switch the main According to the invention the possibilrails may be thru rail A and the rail of ity of the separate locking device accident which switch point 2 is a part. In this case ly becoming unlocked is-eliminatedby prothe branch rails will be thru rail B and the 25 viding the separate locking device with a rail of which switch point 1 is a part. It

safety device which positively prevents ac- Wlll be understood that the switch is of usual cidental unlocking of the separate locking construction and by itself forms no part of device. A fragile connection between the the present invention. These switch points separate locking device and switchstand may 1 and 2 are connected together by means of so also be provided which will break whenever tie rods 3 and 4 and are connected to the it is subjected to a stress greater than the switch stand and safety locking device, as usual working stress. explained hereinafter more in detail.

Various other features and advantages of The switch stand 6 which may be of standthe invention will be obvious from the folard construction as illustrated in Figs. 3 35 lowing particular description of one form and 4 comprises a body or casing 7 having a of a device embodying the invention, or base .8 which may be secured to two of the from an inspection of the accompanying cross .ties 9. The casing 7 has a spindle 1O drawings; and the invention also consists in with a crank arm 11 having suitable conneccertain new and novel features of construction to the tie rod 4, including a connecting 40 tion and combinations of parts hereinafter rod 12 for throwing the switch points 1 and set forth and claimed. 2 from one position to the other. Rigidly In the drawings accompanying n for mounted on spindle 10 'is a squared sleeve 14 ing part of this specification, a practical with a bracket 16 to which is pivoted a-hancommercial embodiment of the invention is dle 17 Slidably mounted on the sleeve is a di lo ed, but as such illustration is prilocking block 13 having an annular collar '15, marily for purposes of disclosure, it Will be and a downwardly projecting square porunderstood tl1atthe structure may be modition 22 Whichfits neatly into a square openfied in various respects without departure ing in top of body or casing 7. The handle from the broad spirit and scope of the inis bifurcated'at its upper end, the two mem- 50 vention as hereinafter defined and claimed. ber's straddling the bracket 16 and the lock- In the drawings: ing block13, and havingcurved portions 18 Fig. 1 is a perspective of the safety lockdisposed between projecting lugs 19 on reing device according to the invention; I speotive sides of thelocking block 13. The Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switch points, handle 17 may have a suitable opening for side thereof'a lock an upstanding latch receiving a projection on the locking block 13, and having a hole 21 in the end thereof through which a padlock (not shown) may be passed to lock the handle in position to prevent movement thereof. The connection between the handle member and the locking block is such that by raising the handle member, the locking block -may be raised on the spindleto the position shown in Fig. 3, thus disengagingthe square portion 22 of the locking block from the body or casing, and allowing the handle, locking block and spindle to rotate and throwthe switch. 1

Atv the side of the switch stand body 7 may be a locking rod 23 guided by a guide member 25 and having a forked head 26' (see Fig. 5) embracing the annular collar 15. The lower end of the locking rod 23 is connected to a bell crank lever 27 pivoted to the switch stand body, the lower end of which lever has operative connection to the safety locking device as hereinafter described more in detail. It will be seen that, as the handle 17 is raised or lowered, the locking block 13 will cause the locking rod 23 to move along with it.

The improved safety locking device may comprise a base 30 having disposed at one block 31 having a chamber in which may be disposed a bar 33'having operative connection with the switch points by suitable means including a connecting rod 341. The block 31 has a. transverse hole 35 extending therethrough, and the bar 33 has a plurality of holes 36 to register with the transverse hole 35 selectively, according to whether the switch points are in one position or the other.

The base30 may further be provided with block 38 having a chamber in which may be disposed a cross bar 39 having secured at one end a pin 10 for disposition in the transverse opening 35 and the openings 36 in the bar 33. A crosshead 41 may be provided rigidly secured to the cross bar 39 and having a connecting rod 42'pivotally connected thereto. The other end of the connecting rod 42 is connected to the bell crank lever 27. This connecting rod 12 may be drilled at points 13 throughout its length to so weaken the bar that it will break when subjected to a predetermined minimum abnormal stress, the operation being explained more indetail hereinafter. To the upper end of the latch block 38 which is forked the latch 15 is pivoted, the

latch having upper and lower'tripping projections 16 and 47 respectively; The latch may have a groove 48 in its lower edge providing ears to straddle cross bar 39, thereby to insure the positive positioning of the latch between the cross head 11 and the latch block 38.

l/Vhenthe switch points arein one of their operating positions, as shown in Fig. 2, the handle member 17 will be in the position shown in Fig. l and the pin lO will be in locked position, the latch 45 being in the position shown in Fig. & positively preventing t-he return of thepin 4E0 from its locked position. The switch points are locked both by the square portion 22 of the locking block 1 3 engaging the square opening in topof body or-casing 7, and the pin lO being in locking position, these two eonditions being brought about simultaneously by the lowering of the handle member 1'7. It .will be appreciated that, even. tho the switch stand be knocked over, as for in stance by something overhanging on a freight car, the bodily movement of the switch stand cannot pull the pin 10 from its locked position because of the inter-position of the latch Furthermore, due to the breakable connection, the connecting rod 12 will easil be broken and the switch stand may be carried any distance without interfering with the positivesafety lock on the switch points, thereby insuring the switch points remaining in their original operative position.

hen it is desired to throw the switch points to another position, the latch 45 is tripped manually or by the operatorextending his toe under the tripping projection 46 and tripping the latch to the" position as shown in Fig. 1. The handle. 17 may be raised to the position shown in Fig. '3 and the spindle 1O rotated until the switch points are in their other position. ihe raising of the handle 17 withdraws the lock sin from its locking position, and, as the cross bar 39 moves under the latch 4C5, tie trip' ping projection 47 is engaged by the cross bar 39 to cause the latch to fall down upon the cross head so that the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 3, the latch 45 being in. cocked position and in readiness to drop by gravity to locking position as soon as the pin 40. is placed in locking position.

Thus the safety device is made fool-proof in that it is impossible for the operator to forget to place the latch in cocked position because the relation of the parts automatically puts the latch in cocked position when ever the pin 40 is withdrawn to unlocked position. i i v Thus a double locking switch stand is provided, one of the locks having a safety latch which will hold the switch points in their thrown position irrespective of damage to or destruction .of thefswitch'stand, The latch must be manually disengaged but, when once tripped the relation of'the parts insures that the latch will be automatically placed in cocked position fol-automatically locking itself, Thus the construction is fool-proof and provides a positive assurance against the switch pointsbeing accidentaly thrown due to destruction of or damage to the switch stand.

W'hile certain novel features of the incention have been shown and described and have been pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In combination with a switch stand, a safety lock device comprising a base, locking members on said base for holding a switch in operative position, one of said locking members having an abutment, a latch member pivoted on said base and adapted to engage said abutment to lock said locking members in locked position, said latch member having a projection to be engaged by one of said locking members when it is moved to unlocked position, said engagement tripping said latch member to position resting on said abutment, so that, when said abutment is moved to locked position, said latch member will move to locked position.

2. In combinatioma switch stand having means for operating a switch, a lock device having lock members for holding said switch in operative position, a safety device on said lock device for positively holding said lock members in locked position, connections for operating said auxiliary lock device from :1 said switch stand including a fragile member which will break whenever the stress on said fragile member exceeds normal working stress.

8. In combination, a switch stand having means for operating a switch, a lock device having connections to said switch, means for operating said lock device from said switch stand, including a fragile member which will break whenever the stress on said fragile memberexceeds normal working stress.

4. In combination with a switch stand, a safety lock device comprising a base, locking members on said base for holding a switch in operative position, a latch member for holding said locking members in locked position, and means whereby said latch member may be manually tripped to unlocked position and then engaged by one of said locking members when moving to unlocked position, thereby tripping said latch member into cocked position in readiness for moving int-o locked position.

5. In combination with a switch stand, a safety lock device comprising a base, a hollow lock block on said base and having a longitudinal chamber and a transverse first hole, a latch pivoted to said base, a cross member having a lock pin for disposition in said first hole, said cross member having an abutment to engage said latch in locked po-. sltion, a lock bar in said chamber and having a second hole, said lock bar being adapted to be connected to a switch, said latch having a projection to be engaged by said cross member so that said latch will be tripped against said abutment when said pin is withdrawn.

6. In combination with aswitch stand, a safety lock device comprising a base, a 1101- low lock block on said base and having a longitudinal chamber and a transverse first hole intersecting therewith, a latch block on said base and having a second hole, a latch pivoted to said latch block. a cross bar disposed in said second hole, said cross bar having a pin for disposition in said first hole and a. cross head, a lock bar disposed in said chamber and having a third hole for said pin, said lock bar being adapted to be connected to a switch, means for operating said switch and for operating said pin, including a breakable connecting rod extending to said cross head from said switch stand, said latch having a projection to be engaged by said cross bar so that said latch will be thrown onto said crosshead when said pin is withdrawn.

7 In combination with a switch, a first lock device having lock members for holdin said switch in operative position, a secon lock device for holding said' switch in operative position, safety lock means on said first lock device for positively holding said lock members in locked position, and means for operating said switch.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals.

PAUL HOFFMAN. [Ls] JAMES B. STRONG. [La] 

